Author Dennis Lehane: Boston Will Not Be Defeated

When people think of Boston, the author Dennis Lehane and his crime novels, including “Mystic River” and “Gone, Baby, Gone,” come to mind.

But the explosion at the Boston Marathon is one crime he could never have dreamed up.

And he told Here & Now’s Robin Young that the attack will not fundamentally change the city.

“If you think you’re going to change the culture here, you really picked the wrong town.”

“If you think you’re going to change the culture here, you really picked the wrong town,” he said. “We’re not going to change, we’re not going to suddenly give up our civil liberties. I’d be surprised if we drastically alter the marathon.”

Lehane lives close to where the attacked happened and is a trustee of the Boston Public Library. The main branch of the library is across the street from where the bombs went off.

“This is when you know that the terrorists lost. Immediately. It’s when you saw those people – civilians – running toward the blast. They were shaking, but they weren’t cowed. They ran to give help,” he said. “In that moment, the terrorist objective, which is always to sow terror – to paralyze you with terror – failed.”

After learning about the explosions, Lehane posted some thoughts on his Facebook page. Here are some excerpts:

Every thought and every prayer goes out to the victims and their families and loved ones. What a senseless act of waste and violence.

This wasn’t about Boston. This was about a global gathering of the finest runners in the world on a gorgeous spring day celebrating nothing but athleticism and a love of life itself.

When I watch the footage of the first explosion, I look at the Boston Public Library Main Branch across the street, and I think no matter who they turn out to be–Islamic jihadists, home grown militia, neo-Nazis, something else–what really scares them, what they truly hate, is the access to knowledge that building exemplifies.

Youngest victim is 8. Sigh. What can you do with that? If your “CAUSE” involves the death of kids, it’s not a cause, it’s a pestilence.